updated 08:25 pm EDT, Thu October 14, 2010

Xbox 360 leads September console sales

Microsoft today claimed that the Xbox 360 continued its US winning streak by leading console sales once again in September. About 484,000 systems sold during the month, according to NPD data, and marked about a 37 percent jump over September a year earlier. Halo: Reach was considered the catalyst, as about 3.3 million copies of the first-person shooter sold the same month and likely drove some to get their first Xboxes or replace old models.

Unlike in past months, Nintendo and Sony data wasn't immediately available due to a change in the NPD Group's policies. It still tracks console sales in the US but now only relays data to the companies involved rather than publishing its data directly for the public. The move has been justified as it didn't generate profit, but it now also makes it difficult to gauge the relative successes of other platforms.

With Microsoft still leading, however, the move suggests that Nintendo has yet to reverse the tumble from the top spot seen in June. While Nintendo has dropped DSi prices and the Wii's over the course of the past few months, the slim Xbox 360 is believed to have been more appealing in the current climate with both a fresher design and more high-profile titles. Both the DSi and Wii are still heavily dependent on Nintendo's game release schedule and often sink when few titles are available.

Sony has seen modest growth over the past few months, mostly due to competitive pricing and refreshes such as the 160GB and 320GB PS3 updates as well as the PlayStation Move. PSP sales have nonetheless been a drag on its health and may be leading it to make a PlayStation Phone using Android.